Brumbies confirm departing Wallaby quartet

Wed, 01/06/2022, 3:59 am
Nathan Williamson

The Moana Pasifika hosted the Brumbies in the final round of Super Rugby Pacific.
The Brumbies have confirmed Wallabies Tom Banks, Folau Fainga'a, Scott Sio and Irae Simone will leave the club at the end of the season.

This comes as coach Dan McKellar prepares to join the Wallabies in a full-time capacity, starting with the July series against England.

Banks leaves the Brumbies having played 84 games for the club, joining in 2017 and instantly finding success as he was chosen for his first Wallaby squad at the end of that season.

Since then, he has become a regular under Dave Rennie, looking to reclaim his spot after he was sidelined for the Spring Tour due to injury.

He is joined by Scott Sio, who will depart the Brumbies after 11 seasons with the club.

The loosehead is just the fourth Brumby to reach 140 Super Rugby games alongside Ben Alexander, Christian Lealiifano and George Smith.

Meanwhile, Fainga'a departs after 61 appearances since joining from Sydney Uni in 2018.

He is since gone on to play 25 games for the Wallabies, including the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

Simone rounds out the list as one of the key success stories from the Brumbies in the past five years.

Arriving in 2019 after struggling for consistent minutes at the Waratahs, the 26-year-old instantly impressed and was selected for his Wallaby debut in 2020.


“It’s always difficult to see both players and staff depart the club, especially this group who have contributed so well to the Brumbies but it is the nature of professional sport and life that people move on and it’s important to recognise them and to give our members, fans and other key stakeholders the opportunity to farewell those who have served the Brumbies so well," Brumbies CEO, Phil Thomson said in a statement

“Dan has led and coached the team with the same high level of commitment and passion this season as every other season and the organisation cannot thank him enough for the rugby program he has contributed to and developed in his nine seasons at the club, and we wish him and Ed Hollis who also departs all the best as they shift back to their roles with the Wallabies.

“Scott, Tom, Folau and Irae have all left a lasting impression in their time at the Brumbies, all playing more than 50 games for the club and we thank each of them for their commitment and contribution to the team both on and off the field.

"It has been a privilege to have Scott as part of the organisation and to see him develop into a leader amongst the group from his time in the Academy to becoming a Wallaby and a world class prop. He will definitely go down as one of the special players in the history of the Brumbies.

“The team and the entire organisation are focused on finishing this season together on a high, starting with Saturday’s Quarter Final against the Hurricanes which is a great occasion for our members, fans and key stakeholders to come out to GIO Stadium to support the team for what will be a very exciting and entertaining match."

https://www.rugby.com.au/news/brumbi...tt-sio-2022531

Four Brumbies leaving after Super season
Alex Mitchell
June 1, 2022 8:49AM


There'll be some new faces at the Brumbies next Super Rugby Pacific season, with four key cogs to depart at the end of this campaign.

The club confirmed gun fullback Tom Banks and long-tenured prop Scott Sio along with centre Irae Simone and hooker Folau Fainga'a will be heading off after the final, which kick off for the Brumbies on Saturday night against the Hurricanes.

All four boast Wallabies experience with a combined 114 caps, while they leave 344 games of Brumbies experience behind.

It adds to what will be a big transitional period for the club, with coach Dan McKellar also departing to pick up a full-time role with the Wallabies.

Banks, who's scored 35 tries for the Brumbies, is expected to pick up a Japanese deal worth around $1.4 million a year, while Fainga'a is rumoured to be joining the Western Force.

Simone has been linked with a move to France.

But it's Sio who leaves behind the biggest legacy, having spent 11 seasons with the club in becoming one of just four Brumbies to play more than 140 games.

"It has been a privilege to have Scott as part of the organisation and to see him develop into a leader amongst the group from his time in the Academy to becoming a Wallaby and a world class prop ... he will definitely go down as one of the special players in the history of the Brumbies," chief executive Phil Thomson said.

"Scott, Tom, Folau and Irae have all left a lasting impression in their time at the Brumbies, all playing more than 50 games for the club and we thank each of them for their commitment and contribution to the team both on and off the field.

"The team and the entire organisation are focused on finishing this season together on a high, starting with Saturday's quarter-final against the Hurricanes."

https://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/ru...ason-c-7011665